唐 Tang · 诗 Poem
宫中词
Words in the Palace
寂寂花时闭院门，美人相并立琼轩。
含情欲说宫中事，鹦鹉前头不敢言。
The beauties stand side by side by the jade balustrade.
With feeling they would speak of the palace's affairs,
Yet before the parrot they dare not open their lips.
Meaning
The poem shows palace women who, even among flowers and one another, dare not speak of the palace's truths before a mimicking parrot. It captures the silence and fear of confined lives with a single restrained gesture.
百花盛开的时节，宫院门却寂寂紧闭；美丽的宫女们并肩立在美玉般的轩廊下。满含情思想要诉说宫中的事，却在那能学舌的鹦鹉面前不敢开口。
Appreciation
The opening sets blossoming times against a shut, silent gate, and two beauties standing together who are alone together. The parrot—a thing that mimics speech—becomes the whole cage of palace caution: she would speak, then does not. In three words, 'dare not speak,' the poem says more than pages of complaint, its grievance lodged in silence.
【白话串讲】 “寂寂花时闭院门，美人相并立琼轩”——朱庆馀写宫中：花时却闭着院门。“含情欲说宫中事，鹦鹉前头不敢言”——她们想说话，却怕鹦鹉学舌，不敢说。宫女的恐惧与幽怨。 【意象与手法】以“寂寂”与“花时”反差开篇，用“鹦鹉”这一能学舌之物侧面写宫禁之森严与言语之危。 【情感与主旨】借宫人欲言又止，道出深宫孤寂与动辄得咎的压抑，含蓄而尖锐。 【名句点睛】“含情欲说宫中事，鹦鹉前头不敢言”——以不敢言之态，写尽宫怨之深。
Background
Zhu Qingyu was a poet of the Baoli era; this poem continues the palace-poem form, voicing the hardship of palace life in a palace woman's voice.
《宫中词》为唐代朱庆馀所作，是写宫中幽怨、鹦鹉不敢言的诗。朱庆馀（生卒年不详），名可久，越州人，唐代诗人。此诗：寂寂花时闭院门，美人相并立琼轩。含情欲说宫中事，鹦鹉前头不敢言。全诗写宫中幽怨、鹦鹉不敢言，是朱庆馀诗的名篇。
Art
It strikes from the side, raising the parrot as an obstacle, saying the unsaid to exhaust the hidden grievance.
《宫中词》艺术上以宫中幽怨的描摹与欲言又止的含蓄见长。全诗四句：首写闭门立轩——“寂寂花时闭院门，美人相并立琼轩”写寂寂花时闭院门、美人相并立琼轩；末写鹦鹉不敢言——“含情欲说宫中事，鹦鹉前头不敢言”写含情欲说宫中事、鹦鹉前头不敢言。全诗以宫中幽怨写欲言又止，正是朱庆馀诗含蓄的笔法。
Allusions
'Parrot mimics speech' hints at the palace custom of keeping parrots that repeat words, not an obscure reference.
《宫中词》用典在“花时”“琼轩”“宫中事”“鹦鹉”。“花时”写花时（花开时节）；“琼轩”写琼轩（华美长廊）；“宫中事”写宫中事；“鹦鹉”用鹦鹉之典（鹦鹉学舌）。全诗以这些意象写宫中幽怨、鹦鹉不敢言，用典自然而含蓄自见，正是朱庆馀诗的笔法。
Commentary
Earlier critics said of it 'it speaks no grievance yet grievance is deep, gaining the subtlety of restraint.'
《宫中词》是朱庆馀诗的名篇，也是唐诗中写宫怨含蓄的代表作。此诗写宫中幽怨、鹦鹉不敢言，向为论者称道。论者多赏其宫中幽怨的描摹与欲言又止的含蓄——“寂寂花时闭院门，美人相并立琼轩”写寂寂花时闭院门、美人相并立琼轩，含蓄之极；“含情欲说宫中事，鹦鹉前头不敢言”用鹦鹉之典写含情欲说宫中事、鹦鹉前头不敢言，更见其妙。朱庆馀此诗写宫中幽怨而不敢言，正是其代表——以宫中幽怨写欲言又止，正是其诗风。
Prosody
Line by line
寂寂花时闭院门，美人相并立琼轩。
Silent in flower time, the courtyard gate is shut; beauties stand side by side at the jade balcony.
寂寂花时闭院门，美人相并立琼轩。
Quiet in the flowering season, the courtyard gate is shut; the beauties stand side by side at the jade balustrade.
首写寂寂花时闭院门、美人相并立琼轩，是全诗写宫中幽怨的起点。“寂寂花时闭院门”写寂寂花时闭院门——“寂寂花时闭院门”写花开时节、院门寂寂关闭——寂寂花时闭院门；“美人相并立琼轩”写美人相并立琼轩——“美人相并立琼轩”写美人相并立在琼轩——美人相并立琼轩。二句写寂寂花时闭院门、美人相并立琼轩：寂寂花时闭院门，美人相并立琼轩。以“寂寂花时闭院门”写花时院闭、寂寂无欢，以“美人相并立琼轩”写美人相并、立于琼轩，正是朱庆馀诗写宫中幽怨的起点——花时院闭，美人琼轩。
The opening writes silent in flower time, the courtyard gate is shut, the starting point for the palace resentment. Silent in flower time: the blooming season, the gate's silence. The beauties stand side by side at the jade balcony: the palace women, the marble railing. One couplet writes the shut gate in flower time and the beauties side by side at the balcony - Zhu Qingyu's starting point for the palace resentment: flower time yet the gate shut, beauties yet silent. The line opens with the closed gate as bi-xing, reserved and lonely: the spring blooming only heightens the prison-like quiet.
含情欲说宫中事，鹦鹉前头不敢言。
Full of feeling, they would speak of palace affairs - before the parrot, they dare not speak.
含情欲说宫中事，鹦鹉前头不敢言。
Brimming with feeling they would speak of palace affairs; before the parrot, they dare not utter a word.
末用鹦鹉之典写含情欲说宫中事、鹦鹉前头不敢言，是全诗写欲言又止的归结。“含情欲说宫中事”写含情欲说宫中事——“含情欲说宫中事”写含情脉脉想说宫中之事——含情欲说宫中事；“鹦鹉前头不敢言”用鹦鹉之典写鹦鹉前头不敢言——“鹦鹉前头不敢言”用鹦鹉学舌之典写鹦鹉面前不敢言语——鹦鹉前头不敢言。二句写含情欲说宫中事、鹦鹉前头不敢言：含情欲说宫中事，鹦鹉前头不敢言。以“含情欲说宫中事”写含情欲说、宫中之事，以“鹦鹉前头不敢言”用鹦鹉之典写鹦鹉面前、不敢言语，正是朱庆馀诗写欲言又止的归结——欲说宫中事，鹦鹉前不敢言。
The closing uses the parrot allusion to write brimming with feeling they would speak of palace affairs; before the parrot, they dare not utter a word, the resolution of the wanting-to-speak-yet-not. Brimming with feeling: the held-back words. Palace affairs: the secrets. Before the parrot uses the parrot-allusion allusion (the parrot repeats speech): the listening bird. Dare not speak: the silence. One couplet writes the held-back words and the parrot-forbidden silence - Zhu Qingyu's resolution: even between them, they dare not speak before the parrot. The line uses the parrot for feeling, reserved and deep: the palace's terror shown in one forbidden word.
Study
Word focus
Related Reading
Compare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
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近试上张水部 Before the Exam, Sent to Secretary Zhang 朱庆馀 · 同为朱庆馀诗写含蓄婉约，一写鹦鹉不言一写画眉深浅，皆含蓄 Related readingCompare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
朱庆馀《近试上张水部》写妆罢低声问夫婿、画眉深浅入时无，与本首同为朱庆馀诗写含蓄婉约。差异在情境：宫中词写宫中幽怨；近试上张水部写新妇问妆。一写“宫”之怨，一写“闺”之巧。两者并读，可见朱庆馀诗写含蓄婉约的两种情境。
行宫 The Traveling Palace 元稹 · 同为唐诗写宫中寥落，一写鹦鹉不言一写白头宫女，皆含蓄 Related readingCompare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
元稹《行宫》写白头宫女、闲坐说玄宗，与本首同为唐诗写宫中寥落。差异在情境：宫中词写欲言不敢；行宫写闲坐说旧。一写“不敢言”之怨，一写“说玄宗”之闲。两者并读，可见唐诗写宫中寥落的两种情境。